What's In A Tattoo?
by Fanfic-Reader-88
Summary: Before their latest case, Callen contemplates a life and body changing decision. Inspired by "Recovery".


**CBS and Shane Brennan own** ** _NCIS: Los Angeles._ DC Comics owns _Superman._ Hanna-Barbara Productions own _Hong Kong Phooey,_ and NBCUniversal owns _Underdog._ I** **nspired by the first opening credit scene (among other scenes) in "Recovery". Also contains references from "Human Traffic", "Tin Soldiers", "Familia", "Lange, H.", "Crimeleon", "Collateral", "Drive" and "Rage".**

 **It had been a lingering thought as he viewed different artwork on his laptop** at his desk. It stuck with him even as Kensi, Deeks and definitely Sam had voiced doubt and disapproval of him wanting to take the step. Hetty had even told him that a shop on the Pacific Coast Highway wasn't an appropriate place to go, with her exact words being "bad idea". But as it stood right now, none of that mattered to him. Until it was stated otherwise, his mind was made up.

 **Special Agent G. Callen wanted a tattoo.**

He didn't see them every single day, but he knew that Sam had tattoos on both arms: the word "respect" was inked in a graffiti-like style at the top of his left bicep, and bold, intricate tribal designs took up a good chunk of his right arm.

When he alerted Callen and the team about the case, Eric had shown off the small but still noticeable (if he ever showed it) design on the shoulder area right arm: a cartoon-like rendering of Albert Einstein discussing the famous E=MC2 equation. Nell also admitted to having a rose tattoo after hearing Eric trying to guess what she had, but she avoided saying where it was on her body.

Kensi and Deeks even had their own ink apparently, although he wasn't sure what it was exactly, and to the best of his knowledge, the only skin art he ever saw Kensi with was the temporary island-style tribal designs that she had over a year ago when she and the rest of the team went to a nightclub to weed out "the Chameleon", who was later revealed to be Marcel Janvier. She also donned a fake wrist tattoo of her nickname and the three _"Mi Vida Loca"_ dots months later when she went undercover as "Krafty".

And Callen may not have been aware of it, but Hetty even had her own tattoo. Oddly enough, it was the same Romani chakra tattoo that was found on many if not all of the members of the Comescu family, the family who had been hunting both of them and was responsible for his biological mother's death.

 **While he and the team went out to investigate the death of a patient at a rehab clinic, who also had military ties, G and Sam** eventually wound up at a luxury car dealership to question the owner, and while there, and before they were stopped by Tom Panetti - a Homeland Security special agent who was undercover as the dealership owner's bodyguard, they continued their debate about whether or not it was a good idea for Callen to get a tattoo, with Sam even going so far as to ask him of his preference between Graham crackers and animal crackers as a kid at one point. But while he was still mulling over whether or not he should take the risk of acquiring a new body modification, Callen had been thinking of different designs and possible body part placement of said designs.

Even though he had considered different spots, it was almost a given that if Callen did get a tattoo, it would most likely be somewhere on the upper half of either one of his arms, be it on the shoulder area or on either side of his biceps. Now any real intrigue would come in the artwork that he would choose, and in the shop he would go to have it done at... assuming he went through with it.

For starters, he had thought of putting "CALLEN" or a Superman-style "G" somewhere on the upper half of either one of his arms, but then it dawned on him that it could be a risk in the future whenever he went undercover, as it might cause someone to question and look into his true identity, and while it might not necessarily get him killed, it could put him in great danger.

Callen then considered the idea of getting a wolf or the head of one, which was symbolic of the "lone wolf" reputation that he had gained over the years, not only because of his constant willingness to work on a case alone, but also from not having any real sense or form of family since his mother had passed. But while he still had a tendency to want to do things alone, or take charge of situations that centered around him finding out more about his past, he also understood how much of a mother figure Hetty had been through the years, from silently keeping track of him in his days in the foster care system, to saving him from an extensive stay in juvenile detention _and_ a return to foster care when he was 15 - which he would later reveal to Sam, and now working with him at NCIS and also providing him with a house of his own, which oddly enough once belonged to one of his adoptive families.

He also recognized the friendship he had with Sam throughout their time as partners, as well as the surrogate family he had gained when Sam and his wife Michelle had opened their home to him, so much to the point that their kids now called him "Uncle Callen".

With that in mind, Callen let go of the wolf idea and continued to examine other possible options. Then suddenly, he found himself entertaining the idea of getting a _Hong Kong Phooey_ tattoo. He once expressed that it was his favorite cartoon as a kid while he and Sam were investigating the death of a former CIA agent turned millionaire. It led to them having a slight argument about who was a better cartoon superhero, Phooey or _Underdog,_ which ultimately caused Sam to say that Underdog "would kick Hong Kong Phooey's ass."

While the memory of the conversation was amusing, the appeal of a _Hong Kong Phooey_ tattoo went almost as fast as it came. He may have been a big fan of the cartoon in his childhood, and it wasn't uncommon for people to bear tattoos things that they liked at that age, but for Callen, getting a cartoon tattoo, even one of his favorite cartoon, seemed more childish than cutting edge, and even for a silent but deadly special agent like himself, it felt like a bad, laughable idea.

 **After thwarting a missile launch at the rehabilitation clinic where Kensi and Deeks had been undercover, they, along with Callen and Sam, had** returned to the ops center, as the latest case had wrapped up, and soon, so would their day. And while the former duo were apparently headed for dinner - and ultimately to the shaggy haired detective's house, the latter twosome still had a resolution to be reached.

"You want to get a beer, talk tattoos?" Sam asked Callen after the group finished discussing the details of their latest bust.

"You know what? I'm over the tat thing," Callen replied.

"Good."

"Talk to me about body piercings."

As Callen joked, he and his friend and partner were on their way to the nearest bar. It was a interesting idea while it lasted, but he felt that it was best to remain the "pure and unadulterated" G that he had been.

 **Well, that's the end of my quick fic. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Not sure what to make of it? Leave you thoughts in the review box. Good night, everybody.**


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